The Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures honored UNMC’s Howard Gendelman, MD, and his wife, Bonnie Bloch, MD, at its annual award luncheon in April.
Dr. Gendelman, the Margaret R. Larson Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and chair of the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, and Dr. Bloch received the Lifesaver Award from the coalition.
Their recognition is significant for the coalition, also known as Nebraska Cures, because the organization was established in 2000 in response to political pressure to restrict research by Dr. Gendelman and others in the use of embryonic and fetal tissue cells.
In a videotaped tribute, friends, family members, community leaders, students, biotechnology and academic researcher leaders from across the country praised Dr. Gendelman and his work in AIDS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease research.
Pioneering AIDS researcher Robert Gallo, MD, appeared on the video to congratulate Dr. Gendelman and affirm the impact of his life works.
"Where are we in HIV therapy? We began major advances because we understood the molecular biology of HIV’s replication cycle," Dr. Gallo said. "Before that, we didn’t have any treatment for systemic viral disease – HIV is historic in that respect. But we now have taken that about as far as we can go. So future therapy maybe comes out of understanding pathogenesis … or in making drugs better targeted or making the drugs longer lasting or both or attacking the genome of HIV in its integrated form. All of these things, Howard has become an expert on."
Christian Brechot, MD, PhD, president of the Global Viral Network and former director of the Pasteur Institute, said Dr. Gendelman has offered significant contributions to his field.
"I really admire what Howard is doing, and believe he deserves the honors that you are giving to him today," Dr. Brechot said.
UNMC colleague Pamela Santamaria, MD, said Dr. Gendelman’s theory on the role of inflammation in neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease is a game-changer.
"Because of his dedication to his idea, we now have a drug that we know is actually helping people with Parkinson’s disease," she said. "His idea came from ‘nobody knowing’ to now being talked about all over the world."
Despite these and other tributes, Dr. Gendelman said the work that led to the award takes a village.
"My role was simply as a cheerleader and supporter of the great work that others have done," he said, acknowledging Benson Edagwa, PhD, Santhi Gorantla, PhD, Sidappa Byraredddy, PhD, Shilpa Buch, PhD, Bhavesh Kevadiya, PhD, R. Lee Mosley, PhD, Kate Olson, PhD, and other colleagues.
"What’s really great about doing biomedical research is that the greatest love is not simply doing the work and publishing papers and getting grants, the greatest love is being able to translate those efforts into something that is meaningful, not only for the patients you’re seeing on a day-to-day, but ultimately for the world."
Dr. Gendelman also expressed gratitude to Samuel Cohen, MD, PhD, his department chair when he arrived at UNMC, for Dr. Cohen's support throughout his UNMC career.
Kudos to Dr. Gendelman and his awesome team – your incredible work has made the world a better place.
Congratulations, Dr. Gendelman!